The most exciting high performance new Dodge Challenger variant to date has got to be the brand new SMS 570 Challenger, introduced this week by Steve Saleen's brand new factory tuning Dodge performance division, SMS Supercars.

After Steve Saleen's tumultous departure from the OEM tuning company he built from the ground up, Saleen Inc., the automotive industry was rapt with speculation for what the King of the American Car would come up with next. Since the days of the Fox-bodied 5.0, Saleen Mustangs and all manner of muscle cars have lit up boulevards and bedroom walls from sea to shining sea. But after leaving Saleen, Inc., it was time for something brand new.

That time is now, and if a stock Dodge Challenger is not enough for your tastes, the SMS 570 Challenger can now be ordered from any Dodge dealership as a turnkey red light racer for delivery soon, that is if you can swing the SMS 570 base price of $64,870.

The 570 employs the patented and redesigned Cadillac of supercharging systems, the SMS296. The sophisticated system employs features dual thin-core intercoolers with single pass coolant flow, and custom asymmetric multi-lobe compression screws.

The results? 500 bhp in SMS 570 trim, or 700 bhp in the pricier and racier "X" variant from a big boosted and reworked version of the Challenger's stock-displacement HEMI.

Like the Saleen Mustangs of old, these new Challengers will be available to the consumer through Dodge and offered with a factory warranty. There's a lot to like here, and we look forward to seeing what else Steve Saleen and SMS Supercars have up their sleeves.